Sheep or goat make good company for heifer?

[DJ in WA]

To save hay and feed, I'd like to get down to one bovine - my heifer that will calve in the spring. But I'm thinking she'd be happier with some company. Wondering if a sheep or goat will do. I've had both before, but not with cows.

I've read sheep really need a herd, so don't know if I'd need two.

[arnie]

At first the goat and the heifer will be looking for their herd mates but after a week they should calm down and srart bonding .your cow may be fine without a barn yard buddie try her first this will save you a lot on an extra feed bill

[gone-a-milkin]

Just get her a pony, problem solved.

[gone-a-milkin]

Okay, *seriously*.

Growing up I really did have a neighbor who kept a pony for his cow's company but a goat would be cheaper.

I have an Amish neighbor who keeps a single wether with his milk cow.
It is an older Boer cross that he got in a weird trade and his kids loved him.
Originally there were several goats and the one cow and they all got along fine.

I dont know about sheep. Never seen that combo, but I have seen goats work out on more than one occasion.

Even seeing other animals across a fenceline is usually enough.

I hate that you would have to get rid of your cows.

[DJ in WA]

Pony might not be a bad idea. I've heard they taste pretty good.

I could keep other cows, but with just the wife and I, don't need more. I'm trying to make this as easy as possible. Just filled the freezer with beef, and don't expect milk too much longer from this beef cow.

And sometimes I about want to shoot this cow I'm milking. She literally starts screaming after separated from her 3 month old calf for just 8 hours and wants to be milked.

I may just keep the calf til next spring, but she's got her mother's personality. Thought it might be easier selling them together.

[Callieslamb]

Sheep and cows can't eat the same grain so if you feed grain, you'd have to keep them separate at feeding time. My sheep and my cows hate each other - always have. But the sheep have sheep friends. The steer last year only had the sheep and he was a double pill without friends. I think a pony would be as cheap as a sheep. The size difference also makes sheep more succeptible to injury from the cow. If you have just one of each, it might work. You can always try and see how it goes. At the worse, you have some lamb to eat.

[G. Seddon]

I realize different species can be "company" and are probably better than no other buddies, but herd animals do best when pastured with their own kind.

I don't know about different grain requirements, but sheep and cows do require different minerals!

[genebo]

Cattle and goats not only get along well, they can be beneficial to each other if they are both on the same pasture at the same time. They each have different types of worms and aren;t harmed by the other species' worms. When a goat eats a cow worm, it kills the worm, and vice versa.

G. Seddon told it right about the minerals. It's the copper that's the problem. Sheep can't take it. Cows and goats need it.

Goats are known for being escape artists. Able to leap tall buildings. Get a fainting goat. If they get excited, they lock up. No fence jumping.

My vet once told me why he doesn't work on sheep. He said that if a cow gets sick, hes has two weeks to cure her or she'll die. If a goat gets sick, he has 3 days to cure her or she'll die. A sheep is born with it's head down, looking for a place to die.

I keep 7-10 Dexters with the same number of goats and they get along very well. Never an incident.

Here's a solo bull that thought he was a goat. They lived together in perfect harmony.

I

[G. Seddon]

genebo, those two little guys standing on the back of the other one -- priceless!

[SpaceCadet12364]

sell the annoying cow & calf pair........and buy a steer thats just weaned or around that.

heifer gets company, and when the steer gets annoying, and hopefully is big enough if/when he gets annoying, put his butt into a freezer (yours if you got the room, or market him to a couple of families to split him and he can go to a couple different freezer camps).

[Looking4ewes]

My rams and steers are good company for each other. The milk cow hates all things sheep.

[lonelyfarmgirl]

I always raise bottle calves with goats. They learn to be people friendly that way.